Nevada authorities are hinting at a plan to reopen the state's economy and major industries as COVID-19 social distancing pays dividends while testing accelerates.
Overall, Gov.
Steve Sisolak is praising efforts by Nevadans to slow the spread of the virus.
13 INVESTIGATES REPORTER JOEBARTELS IS LIVE NEAR THE STRIPTONIGHT..AND JOE THE GOVERNOR WARNS...HE'S NOT GOING TO BE OPENING UPANYTHING...THAT PUTS HEALTH AND SAFETYAT RISK..THE GOVERNOR REVEALED A LOT OFNEW DETAILS..THAT INCLUDES A PLAN FORCOVID-19 TESTING..AND A VERY GRADUAL..
INDUSTRY..BY INDUSTRY APPROACH..TO RESTART THE ECONOMY INNEVADA!THE BRIGHT LIGHTS ON THESTRIP..WILL WELCOME VISITORS ONCEAGAIN..BUT NOT BEFORE..THE SCIENCE IS SOUND.SOT: GOV.STEVE SISOLAK/(D) NEVADA 8:50"AS YOUR GOVERNOR, I CAN ASSUREYOU THAT WE'RE WORKING ON THESTRONGEST PLAN POSSIBLE TORE-OPEN OUR BUSINESSES AND OURCOMMUNITIES, ONE THAT WILLFOCUS ON PUTTING THE HEALTH ANDSAFETY OF NEVADANS FIRST ANDOVERALL..NEVADA IS DOING AN EXCELLENTJOB OF SOCIAL DISTANCING..COVID-19 CASES ARESLOWING...AND VIRUS TESTING IS RAMPINGUP..
BIG TIME..STEVE SISOLAK/(D) NEVADA 8:00NO ONE WANTS TO GET BACK TOBUSINESS MORE THAN I DO.WE ARE A PROUD STATE.WE ARE A HARDWORKING STATE."THE GOVERNOR HINTED..AT A POSSIBLE PLAN FORREOPENING..
TO BE UNVEILED..NEXT WEEK...HE SAYS..IT WOULD BE A GRADUAL OPENING..BY INDUSTRY...ONE AT A TIME...SUCH AS RESTAURANTS...THEATERS...BEAUTY SALONS..
AND GAMINGESTABLISHMENTS...STEVE SISOLAK/(D) NEVADA 9:44IF WE RE-OPEN AND WE'RE NOTREADY WITH THE BEST PLANPOSSIBLE, ALL THE INCREDIBLEWORK YOU'VE DONE WILL HAVE BEENWASTED, AND WILL RUN THE RISKOF HURTING OUR ECONOMY EVENMORE." STATE AUTHORITIESARE GRAPPLING WITH THE HUGENUMBER OF PEOPLE..THAT ARE OUT OF WORK..CLAIMS ARE UP A STAGGERING..2 THOUSAND 1 HUNDRED 25 PERCENTCOMPARED TO THE SAME TIME LASTYEAR FOR MARCH!
AND THEUNEMPLOYMENT RESPONSE ISRAISING SOME EYEBROWS.MICHAEL SCHAUS/NEVADA POLICYRESEARCH INSTITUTE 4:02 "THEREARE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCESTHAT POLITICIANS AREN'TNECESSARILY THINKING ABOUT HERJUST LETTING PEOPLE KNOWTHEY'RE DOING SOMETHING." MICHAEL SCHAUS WITH THENEVADA POLICY RESEARCHINSTITUTE...SAYS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ISUSING A ONE SIZE FITS ALLAPPROACH.GRAPHIC FOR EXAMPLE..IF YOU RECEIVE THE MAXIUMNEVADA BENEFIT OF 460 DOLLARSPER WEEK...FACTOR IN THE EXTRA 600 DOLLARSTACKED ON BY THE FEDS THROUGHTHE END OF JULY..THAT ADDS UP TO A POTENTIALBENEFIT OF MORE THAN 4 THOUSANDDOLLARS PER MONTH!
SOT: MICHAELSCHAUS/NEVADA POLICY RESEARCHINSTITUTE 2:27 "YOU LOOK ATAMAZON IS HIRING, GROCERYSTORES ARE LOOKING FOR WORKERS.IF ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY CAN'TCOMPETE WITH PAY YOU ARERECEIVING WITH UNEMPLOYMENTTHAT'S GOING TO CREATE A LOT OFAND THEN I'M NOT GOING TOSIMPLY BECAUSE THE INCENTIVEISN'T THERE AND YOU CAN'T BLAMETHEM FOR THAT." SCHAUS SAYS IT MIGHT BE SHORTTERM GAIN..LONG TERM PAIN..FOR TAXPAYERS THE GOVERNMENTMONEY..IS BORROWED...AND MAY CREATE MUCH LARGERBUDGET PROBLEMS DOWN THE ROAD.IT'S ALSO VERY IMPORTANT TONOTE..COLLECTING UNEMPLOYMENTBENEFITS..DOES NOT CONTRIBUTE TO 401- K'SOR RETIREMENT PLANS..YOU DON'T HAVE MEDICALINSURANCE..YOU ARE TAXED ON THEM...AND THE UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITSDON'T LAST FOREVER.REPORTING LIVE JOE BARTELS 13ACTION NEWS,DEVELOPING TONIGHT..METRO SAYS ONE PERSON IS DEAD
Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul made herself available to media Wednesday to answer questions regarding the state's response to coronavirus..
The Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, says it has opened a new Unemployment Insurance call center to..
